Giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. The giant net will try to catch falling payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Mr Steven arrived in port on Feb. 11, 2019 after sailing from the US West Coast.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The first chance to put Mr.  Steven to use could potentially happen as soon
as next week following a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch tentatively slated for Thursday
evening, Feb 21.


Mr. Steven sailed into Port Canaveral for the first time just
this week early Monday morning, Feb. 11 after a two week voyage from the Port of
Los Angeles.  Read our story here. 

Overhead view of Mr. Steven after workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Since then workers have wasted no time readying Mr. Steven to
nab nose cones falling from the sky and spent the past few days outfitting the
ship first with 4 massive arms.


Then on Thursday afternoon the workers set about attaching what
looks like a giant ‘trampoline’ or ‘fishing net’ which functions as a huge ‘catchers
mitt’ to catch used payload fairing halves descending by parachute in mid-air after
rocket launches – but before they hit the ocean and suffer corrosion by salts and
structural damage by impact.

Workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. The giant net will try to catch falling payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Next the captain took the fully rigged Mr Steven out for a brief
spin, unberthed and turned the ship 180 degrees around in the ports channel in a test exercise – right beside
the OCISLY ocean going drone ship used for sea landings of the spent Falcon 9 first
stages.

SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven is fully outfitted with giant ‘fishnet’ and turns 180 degrees in Port Canaveral on Feb 14, 2011 in a test operation. Credit: Jean Wright/Space UpClose

Credit: Jean Wright/Space UpClose

Credit: Jean Wright/Space UpClose

Enjoy our gallery of Space UpClose images taken
in Port Canaveral.

SpaceX naval fleet of 4 ships berthed side by side including Mr. Steven after workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Overhead view of SpaceX naval fleet of 4 ships including Mr. Steven after workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Its quite a sight seeing the SpaceX naval fleet of four
ships berthed side by side in Port Canaveral, highlighted by the improbable looking
Mr. Steven.


Mr Steven will try and catch the fairings with the giant trampoline-like
net as they fall from the sky beneath a parachute before smashing into the sea
waters.  

Workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. The giant net will try to catch falling payload fairings before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Its berthed beside Crew Dragon recovery vessel GO Navigator with hoisting crane and mockup capsule on deck. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

SpaceX has tried this netting attempt scenario several times
already on the West Coast after Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg AFB, California
but not yet succeeded.  Although the ship
has come close a few times and almost succeeded on the last attempt.

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The twin payload fairings are bolted on top of SpaceX’s
Falcon family of rockets and protect the valuable cargo payloads housed inside from
destructive aerodynamic forces after launch as the rocket pierces the Earth’s
atmosphere. The fairing halves then separate and are jettisoned about 4 minutes
after launch and then normally descend in  a free fall and crash into the ocean. 


SpaceX hope to change that past paradigm with Mr. Steven. 

Workers crane a payload fairing half off the deck of SpaceX’s newly arrived nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven after it sailed into Port Canaveral, FL, on Feb. 11, 2019. The ship will use a giant net to catch falling payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Two fairings on deck in this photo. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

SpaceX CEO and billionaire founder Elon Musk says the
ultimate goal is to recover and recycle the nose cone fairings for another
launch and thereby help slash the high cost of access to space.

Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose interviewed on Fox 35 TV News Orlando about SpaceX Mr. Steven boat and payload fairing recovery goals on Feb 11, 2019. Credit: Fox 35/Ken Kremer

Watch for Ken’s
continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin,
Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy
Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight
Facility, Virginia.